Scores rescued from water after ship capsizes off Australia

By the CNN Wire Staff

Updated 0257 GMT (1057 HKT) June 28, 2012

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Australia's asylum seeker debate – An Australia-bound Iraqi family arrives at an Indonesian marine police station in Surabaya in East Java province on July 29, 2012. They were among a group of 66 Iraqi and Iranian asylum seekers who were rescued from a stricken boat by the Indonesian navy.

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Australia's asylum seeker debate – Over the weekend, Australian authorities intercepted six boats in the waters north east of Australia carrying 265 people. All occupants will be checked by doctors before being transferred to Christmas Island for processing, officials said.

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Asylum boat – This boat carrying 150 suspected asylum seekers was spotted by Australian authorities prior to its sinking on June 27.

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Australia's asylum seeker debate – Rescued suspected asylum seekers arrive at Christmas Island, south of Indonesia, on June 22, 2012, after their boat capsized spilling everyone on board into the water.

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Australia's asylum seeker debate – The boat was carrying about 200 people and Australian authorities believe all the passengers were male.

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Australia's asylum seeker debate – So far, rescuers have saved 110 people from the ship, authorities say. Survivors have been transfered to Christmas Island.

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Australia's asylum seeker debate – In addition to Australian relief efforts, Indonesia has sent two warships to assist the rescue.

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Australia's asylum seeker debate – Australian Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said that one 13-year-old boy was among those rescued. All the rest were adults.

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Australia's asylum seeker debate – Mujtaba Ahmadi was just 15 years old when he left his family in Iran to flee to Australia. He spent months in detention centers on Christmas Island and Darwin before settling in Sydney.

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Story highlights

Rescuers have saved 130 people from the water

One body has been recovered, and three people are missing

The vessel turned over north of Australia's Christmas Island

It is the second vessel to capsize in the area in the past week

Rescuers pulled 130 people from the waters between Australia and Indonesia on Wednesday after a ship capsized, the Australian authorities said.

Merchant and naval vessels, as well as a patrol aircraft, carried out the rescue effort about 107 nautical miles north of Australia's Christmas Island, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.

By Wednesday night, 130 people had been rescued from about 134 believed to have been on board the ship when it turned over, the authority said in a statement. One body has been recovered, and three people are thought to have gone down with the ship, the statement said.

The rescue effort has now been called off as no more survivors or deceased people have been spotted, the maritime authority said. The Australian authorities had initially estimated that about 150 people were on board the vessel.